Knitting-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 1.

W. ESTY.

KNITTING MACHINE.

' No. 247,325. I Patented Sept. 20,1881.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. ESTY.

KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 247,325. Patented Sept. 20,1881.

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7 formed and adapt-ed to work in grooves in the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ESTY, OF LACONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

KNITTING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,325, dated September 20, 1881. Application filed J nne 22, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ESTY, of Laconia, in the county of Belknap and State of NewHampshire,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in flat-knitting machines; and it consists, first, in a needle-carrier formed of a flat plate having a portion of its top edge cut away, and provided with a groove in its side, in which the needle moves; second, a needle-carrier formed of a flat plate having a portion of its top edge cut away, and provided with a groove in its side to carry a needle, and having its edges guide-bars; third, in the combination, with the guiding-bars provided with vertical grooves in theirinner sides, of the needle-carriers formed of flat plates, having the grooves in their sides and arranged in two series, the needle'grooves of each series facing toward the center of the machine, and the division-plate being placed between the two series, in the center of the machine; fourth, the combination, with the guide-bars having vertical grooves formed in their inner sides, and a pattern mechanism, of needle-carriers formed offlat plates having portions of their top edges cut away, and provided with grooves for the needles to move in; fifth, the combination, with the guide-bars having vertical grooves formed in their inner sides, and a cam-bar, of a series of needle-carriers, the needles, and the pattern mechanism,whereby the said carriers are moved vertically and the needles caused to engage with the said cambar at predetermined periods, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to place the needle in grooves in the sides of the carriers, so that as the carriers are moved vertically by the pattern mechanism the needle is carried with the carrier, and each carrier forms a support or hearing for the next adjoining needle, so that each needle is supported upon every side.

a Figure 1 is a plan view of a detached portion of the guide-bars, needle-carriers, and division-plate. Fig. 2 is a perspective of one of the needle-carriers with a-needlein position. Fig. 3 is a perspective ofa needle-carrier, taken from the opposite side. Fig. 4 is a perspective of the division-plate. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a machine in which my invention is embodied. Fig. 6 is an end view of the same. Figs. 7 and 8 show a modification ot' the pattern mechanism.

A represents the needle-carriers, each one of which is formed from a thin flat plate, which has a projection, B, formed upon its lower end, and which projection bears upon the pattern mechanism L for the purpose of raising the carrier vertically in the grooves R in the inner sides of the guide-bars N when the pattern mechanism is moved or caused to revolve. Each one of the carriers has a portion of its top edge, 0, cut away, asshown in Fig. 2, so that the shanks D ,ofthe needles F can be freely moved back and forth by the cam-bar O, which has a cam-shaped groove formed in its under side for the purpose of moving the needles back and forth in the carriers as the cam-bar is reciprocated over the tops of the carriers. Each one of the carriers has a groove, V, made in its side, and which extends from one edge to the cut-away portionsO, and in this groove V is placed the needle F. The needle fills this groove Vjust flush with the side of the plate, so that when a series of the plates are placed in the, guidebars N, as shown in Fig. 1, the plates are in direct contact with each other, and each plate forms a hearing or support for the needle in the next adjoining plate. In this manner each needle is supported upon all four sides, so that displacement of one of the needles while the machine is at work is impossible. Each one of the carrier-plates A has its two'opposite edges cut away, as shown in Fig.

3, so as to fit in the grooves R which are made in the inner sides of each of the guide-bars N, and each plate is thus held in position, so that it has no other than a vertical movement.

The guide-bars N are placed upon opposite sides of the frame, and the pattern mechanism is placed just below them, so that the projection B of each carrier A rests upon the top of the pattern; As the pattern is caused to revolve the two outer plates are first dropped downward, and so on, in pairs, toward the com ter, and then the carriers begin to rise in pairs at the center and rise from the center outward. In this manner, at predetermined periods, the outer carriers are dropped downward in pairs, so that their needles F cease to knit, but hold the work upon their hooks, so that the entire strain of the take-upis at oncetaken oft of the needles that are out of operation; but the strain is kept upon all the needles which are raised and at work.

The pattern L is shown as formed on the periphery of a wheel in Figs. 5 and 6, and this wheel is caused to revolve by means of a pawl and ratchet; but the particular form of the pattern and the method of operating it form no special part of this invention. In Figs. '7 and 8 the pattern is made in the form of a chain or endless band, and is operated by a wheel in the usual manner.

, One half of the carrier-plates A are grooved upon one side and the other half of the plates are grooved upon the opposite side, so that the carrier-plates are divided into two sections, and the grooves of each section are turned toward the center of the machine.

In order that the needles of the two central plates A may be braced in position and kept the rightdistance apart,theflatplateIis placed between them, and this plate affords the needles of the two central plates the same protection which is afl'orded to the needles of every other plate. Were no central division-plate, I, used, the needles of the two central carriers would be left unprotected upon theirinner sides, and thus be easilyknocked out of position; and if all of the plates were grooved upon thesame side, instead of being divided in two sections and grooved upon opposite sides, ashere shown, every needle would be left unprotected as the plate next to it was raised or lowered, according to the movement of the cam-bar. Were they grooved upon one side only, and the dropping down were begun at one end, the needle would be supported in position; but as soon as they began raising up from the same end each one would be left without any side support, and hence would be pulled out of position by the cam-bar or yarn. The needle-carriers are dropped downward as soon as their needles have taken their stitch in the course that is then being knit, and the needles are thus moved out of operative position until it is time for them to take their stitch in the next course.

This invention is intended especially as an attachment for flat-knitting machines; and in order to apply the vertically-moving carrierplates A to any of the flat machines now in use it is only necessary to remove the needle-bar, attach the guide-plates N to opposite sides of the machine, and place the pattern mechanism L in position under the plates, and the machine is then ready for operation.

In some cases, instead of having the carrierplates drop downward from the outer ends toward the center in pairs, they may be dropped downward from the center toward the ends, in

which case there will be a plate corresponding to the division-plate I placed at the outer end or side of each section of plates A, and each one of these plates will then operate in the same manner and for the same purpose as the plate I, which is here placed in the center. Where two plates are thus used the carriers will still be grooved upon opposite sides and divided into two sections, as above described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A needle-carrier formed. of the flat plate A, having a portion of its top edge cut away,

and provided with a groove in its side, in which the needle moves, substantially as described.

2. A needle-carrier formed of the flat plate A, having a portion of its top edge cut away, and provided with a groove in its side to carry a needle, and having its edges formed and adapted to work in grooves in the guide-bars, substantially as described. g

3. The combination, with the guide-bars N N, provided with vertical grooves in their inner sides, of the needle-carriers formed of the metallic plates A, having the grooves in their sides for the reception of the needles, and the plate I, the said carriers being arranged in two series, the grooves of each series facing toward the center of the machine, and the plate I being disposed between the two series in the center of the machine, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the guide-bars N N, having vertical grooves R formed in their inner sides, and pattern mechanism, as described, of the needle-carriers formed of flat plates A, having portions of their top edges cut away, and provided with grooves for the needles, and the needles, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the guide-bars N N, having vertical grooves R formed in their inner sides, and the cam-bar O, of the series of needle-carriers, constructed as described, the needles, and pattern mechanism, whereby the said carriers are raised and the needles caused to engage with the said cam-bar at predetermined periods, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ESTY.

Witnesses:

JOHN T. BUsIEL, MARTIN A. HAYNES. 

